Trainee Associate (consulting) Review

In my role as a consulting higher apprentice, I work on rotations between projets every 6 months. Currently I work internally in an admin-style role, chasing people about timesheets etc. I also run ad hoc bids for our government sector when necessary around the office.

My knowledge of business is improving through my everyday work and my external training. I complete sector training when I have time. I have developed skills especially in powerpoint and excel, whilst doing my day-to-day work and bidding for external clients. I have developed in professionalism and communication also.

The company is brilliant to work for, so I really enjoy being a part of PwC. I think they treat us fairly and they give us a lot of responsibility which demonstrates trust. In my current role I feel a bit isolated from my team however effort has been made on both sides to rectify this. The team in my office however are always friendly and this makes for a great working environment.

I feel valued by the company. My manager gives me feedback whenever I ask and sometimes when I don't to tell me I'm doing a good job! We have a system called gems where people can be recognised for hard work, and I receive recognition on here which makes me feel valued to my team and colleagues. I am asked regularly to be involved in different projects etc which makes me feel as though I'm doing a good job and the company values my input.

The programme is constantly changing to make improvements. This can be confusing at times, however it does mean that the programme is getting better. The induction and training at the start was useful for learning generally about the company and the programme. There are lots of support networks around me and the roles we are given are constantly reviewed.

Kaplan have given me support through phone calls and emails. At training days, they are really helpful and friendly people, and are happy to answer questions and spend any break times going through things that don't make sense. I enjoy the study that they provide for us and the college days are often high intensity. I feel that if i have a problem I could approach one of my tutors.

There is a great support network built for higher apprentices. Within my project team everyone is friendly and happy to help me with any issues I may have. They take an interest in me as a person. I have a people manager to help me with my career progression and give guidance. I also have a buddy who helped me when I first joined the firm to get to grips with the systems and who helped ease the transition into work.

I live in a relatively cheap city, so my living costs are relatively low, however I still find it doesn't leave me with a lot of money each month. As I had to relocate, it was quite expensive to start with. Luckily for me, I had family to help however it would be difficult for someone starting out and relocating if hey didn't have extra support. I think it would also be more expensive for people living in other cities.

There are opportunities outside work. I play netball with the PwC team weekly which means I get to meet new people. Each Friday we go for drinks after work with the people in our office in consulting. I don't know about voluntary activities, I've looked into it but there doesn't seem to be much. I think there tend to be more oppurtunities in other offices.

Yes

The company in general created a really good community and an inclusive working environment, which is really important when you go straight into work at such a young age. I feel that my career progression, and the opportunities ahead of me are going to be amazing and the the company really supports me in achieving my full potential with them.

PwC wants to hire individuals and real people so make sure you're well rounded as an individual. Expect to speak about yourself and why PwC should invest in you as a person. It won't always be an easy career path, and the apprenticeship is difficult but he support around you will always be there when you need it, just e prepared to be challenged. Make sure you're aware of how time consuming all of the application process will be- you have to be ready to put a lot of time aside to apply for any apprenticeship really so do your research first.